Dr Femi Olaleye: When the protector becomes the predator
Dr Femi Olaleye’s sentencing on the 24th of September was a victory for victims of sexual abuse and a testament to the fact that justice is attainable.
Dr. Femi Olaleye, the Medical Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, was sentenced to life imprisonment for defiling his wife’s 15-year-old niece.
It was reported that Olaleye began grooming the niece for sexual molestation during the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020 till July 2021; having forcefully introduced her to pornography and oral sex.
Sexual abuse is not something new, yet has not been curbed, as new cases of sexual abuse of minors especially are reported every other day, the girl child being the highest victim.
Unicef notes that “one in four girls and 10 percent of boys have been victims of sexual violence.”
However, more tragic is when supposed protectors become predators. A 2019 research by Ojuade shows that “approximately 30% are relatives of the child, most often brothers, fathers, uncles or cousins; around 60% are other acquaintances such as ‘friends of the family,’ babysitters, or neighbours, strangers are offenders in approximately 10% of sexual abuse cases.”
Sexual abuse of minors is basically a case of pedophilia. Pedophilia involves adults having sexual activities with children or minors, and that is the case of Mr. Innocent Onwuegbule, the proprietor of Great Leaders International School, Delta reportedly raped a four-year-old girl, who was a pupil of his school in the most gruesome way.
The report had it that on the 4th of October, Onwuegbule took his victim into a school restroom, where he used scissors to cut her private part, injected an unidentified substance into her buttocks, and thereafter raped her. Obviously, a case of a supposed protector who transformed into a predator.
The school failed the girl child, but what about the law enforcement agency? There could still be hope.
Unfortunately, a soldier, Aliyu Uwarh, allegedly raped a nine-year-old girl in Delta, but the 3 battalions failed to hand him over to the police, thereby preventing justice.
You would think that the police would do better, but sadly, right at the Tse Agbaragba Divisional Police Station at Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue state, Constable Belasa Iyangedue raped a 16 old girl on Aug, 15.
The teenage girl who was detained that same day on account of defamation was taken out of the cell by the constable to the divisional police officer’s office where she was raped. Another instance of a protector becoming a predator.
Even, if the law enforcement agency fails, those in the medical field should have a proper understanding of rape and its consequence and seek the protection of vulnerable people, one would think. However, this is not always the case.
Dr. Abubakar Danraka, a former Chief Pharmacist of National Hospital, Abuja, and Senior Special Adviser (Technical) to the Director of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, was arrested on March 27, 2020, for defiling a minor and in September 2023 he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
We most certainly might need prayers at this point from a pastor or imam to solve this issue, because this doesn’t look ordinary.
Alas! The religious institution is not clean. 60-year-old Chukwuemeka Orji, a Pastor of the Assemblies of God Church, Ukonu Street, off Ngwa Road, Aba was remanded in a correctional center for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old who lived with him.
According to the minor, it wasn’t a one-off act but occurred several times. Oh! Who would pray for and protect us?
Strangers should be protectors too
You! Yes, you are a stranger, but you could even pass for her great grandfather, but you chose to be her undoing. This was the case of a 94-year-old man who allegedly defiled a 13-year-old girl in Tappare ward, Ganye Local Government Area in Adamawa on August 12.
Another stranger, A 43-year-old artisan and suspected serial rapist, Dantata Bawa was arrested by the Police for allegedly defiling a four-year-old girl in the Wadata area of Makurdi the Benue state capital after luring her with sweets.
Of course, pedophilia is not restricted to certain states or regions and that is why Mr Matthew Uyangha was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a 13-year-old orphan.
Uyangha drugged and kidnapped the orphan from Akpabuyo Local Government Area and took her to somewhere in Esuk Utan in Calabar Municipality where he raped the girl repeatedly for two months before being arrested by men of the Civil Defense Corps.
You might want to put up an argument on Dantata and Uyangha being strangers, and so might not be looked at as protectors, however, irrespective of this position, I’ll say humanity first.
Family members are not always innocent
With reports of sexual assaults, more heartbreaking is when the rapist is a direct family member, who is supposed to be a first-line protector. Sadly, it is becoming more prevalent.
“I found out he was molesting my first baby when she was 8-9 months old” This was the statement of Mistura Raji, a mother of four – a boy and three girls, who in an interview exposed how her three girls were molested by their father, Onyeka Ihedike from Imo state.
Raji revealed that her husband had been molesting her three girls in their infancy.
Around the time Raji had her second child – a girl, her husband, Ihedike was caught red-handed watching young children in the neighbourhood bathing, a continuous act which worried the children who called the attention of the parents.
Ihedike did not spare Raji’s sisters, as he made several attempts to penetrate them aside touching them inappropriately and watching them bathe.
Raji is now separated from her husband and lives with her kids, an action which came after the continuous rape of his last child – a four years old girl.
Protect yourself, your child, your loved one and even that ‘stranger’
Yes, these victims are broken and shattered, battered and bruised, with physical and emotional scars, traumatised for life, but not all can live with it.
And so, sixteen-year-old Olayemi Agbeloba took her own life on the 23rd of June after being raped by Ajibode, a middle-aged man, to whom’s wife she was an apprentice.
Cold facts face us, but here is how to spot these predators, in order to protect yourself and loved ones from them.
You see that person who is more comfortable associating with children, that one who grooms them with sweets, video games and other treats, that individual that carries them on the laps, kisses them, etc, he (mostly) or she could be a pedophile.
Do not think education or religiosity provides them with immunity, you would probably be making a great mistake with this assumption.
Put safety first, your child’s safety is more important than anyone’s embarrassment.
Make sure you know what people do with your child, create a friendly environment that makes them freely express their thoughts, monitor their activities, listen, and be observant to notice changes.
Teach them to protect themselves, teach them to notice inappropriate activities and call for help when in danger.
If things turn sour regardless, turn to the justice system, there is still hope and justice can and will be served, but you have to take a step. Speak up, you’ll be heard. Your victory will definitely empower other sexual abuse victims.
